Aleksa Alaica

Dr. Aleksa Alaica is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology within the Faculty of Arts at the University of British Columbia (UBC), where she has been employed since 2022. She holds a BA and PhD from the University of Toronto and an MSc from the University of Edinburgh, specializing in osteoarchaeology and isotope analysis. Her research examines human-animal interactions through archaeological excavation, zooarchaeology, and isotope methods.

Her primary research explores:

• Moche perceptions and ritual use of animals in northern Peru
• Food security impacts during Wari state expansion in the Andes
• Camelid/dog/guinea pig management through bioarchaeological analysis

Publications demonstrate strong focus on Andean archaeology (69% of recent articles), zooarchaeology (57%), and isotope applications (50%), with secondary emphasis on ritual practices and craft production.

Awards include:

• Killam Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021)
• SSHRC Insight Development Grants (2022-2024, 2024-2026)
• Wenner-Gren Workshop Grant (2022-2023)
• Multiple UBC research grants including Hampton Fund and Cluster grants

Currently advises MA student Kara Ren and leads the Multispecies Archaeology Research Group. Research has been funded by SSHRC, Wenner-Gren Foundation, and UBC internal grants focusing on Andean food systems and isotope applications.